Artist Statement: The word reliquary comes from the French word reliquaire, meaning “a receptacle, such as a shrine, for keeping and displaying sacred relics.” Reliquaries became an important part of Christian practices in Europe beginning in the third century. They could be made from metal or carved wood, often based on an architectural design, such as a Gothic church window like this one. They held precious stones, pictures, crucifixes, and religious relics.
The Russian Orthodox Cross, or Orthodox Cross, is a variation of the Christian Cross found in Russia since the 16th century. The Russian Orthodox Cross has three horizontal crossbeams, with the lowest one slanted downwards. Today it is a symbol of the Russian Orthodox Church and a distinctive feature of the cultural landscape of Russia. The topmost of the three crossbeams represents Pilate's inscription which in the older Greek tradition is "The King of Glory", based on John's Gospel; but in later images it represents INRI, a Latin abbreviation for "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews." The middle crossbeam is the main bar to which Jesus’ hands were fixed while the bottom crossbeam represents the footrest. It is also a common perception that the foot-rest points up, toward Heaven, on Christ's right hand-side, and downward, to Hades, on Christ's left.